Photos from Bootie’s 20th Anniversary

The early 2010s were a weird time to move to San Francisco. Rent was cheap but salaries equally so. Homelessness and crime felt just as problematic as today, but social media had not yet gripped our minds and phones in the chokehold they now have on us.

San Francisco remained a utopia for many young hopefuls, fed to us in our childhoods from Full House, Charmed, Princess Diaries, and Mrs. Doubtfire. I moved for my own reasons, but I remember the communal perception from locals as insufferably rose colored; everyone clamored to be here.

Enter Bootie, this quirky pseudo-underground mashup party that also felt of the moment: iPods were still a thing, and FM radio’s slow death hastened with the growing use of Pandora and Spotify. I had never been to DNA Lounge, but the nostalgia to Buffy the Vampire Slayer gave me life; here was a venue ripped straight out of The Bronze. I remember my first time as insanely packed. The party still bumped half a decade later, but you could see the party slowly evolving from crazy hotspot to in-the-know hangout.

Archival Bootie party at DNA Lounge, courtesy Adriana Roberts.

Add another decade, and Bootie’s recent 20th anniversary felt a bit like a high school reunion. The soirée this month at Cat Club gave a lot of elder Millennial and Gen X vibes, with grunge 90s, goth looks and khakis all on fervent display. I do not go clubbing much nowadays, but I loved that people came for the good music and laughs, not to stand and pose, cruise, or get blackout drunk. The vibe was pure happiness.

Adriana Roberts — now a regular contributor of The Bold Italic — should be proud of what she built here. Bootie has moved beyond a night out and into a very San Francisco community; one with aficionados and weirdos alike, all out celebrating each other and life in our City by the Bay.